Guilford County Schools announces leadership changes, promotes Jennifer Cooper

Guilford County Schools is moving one of its most successful elementary principals into a districtwide leadership role, betting that the same steady hand that guided Millis Road Elementary through three straight years of academic growth can help other schools do the same.

The district announced May 12 that Jennifer Cooper will become principal supervisor for Zone 6, where she will oversee elementary principals starting July 1, 2026. Cooper has led Millis Road Elementary since 2020 and was a finalist for principal of the year in 2024-25. Her promotion comes as Guilford County Schools says its zone structure is designed to give principals more direct support so they can stay focused on student achievement.

That support model matters because the district is also trying to show measurable progress. Guilford County Schools said 77% of its schools met or exceeded growth in the 2024-25 school year, four percentage points higher than in 2018-19, the last tested year before the pandemic. Against that backdrop, Cooper’s move reads less like a routine reassignment than a deliberate effort to spread proven school leadership across the system.

Cooper’s replacement at Millis Road will be Maggie Dowling, who has served as an assistant principal at Southwest Elementary since 2024 and spent a year at Pilot Elementary. In those roles, Dowling worked on data analysis, scheduling, professional development and strategic planning, experience that fits a school where continued academic growth will depend on keeping instruction organized and staff aligned.

The district also named Jennifer Vega-Prieto as the next principal of Kirkman Park Elementary. Vega-Prieto has been an assistant principal at Allen Middle since 2020 and was a finalist for assistant principal of the year in 2024-25. She is credited with increasing family engagement among Spanish-speaking families by 20 percent, a sign that communication and trust may be as important as test scores at a campus serving a diverse community.

Two other schools are getting new principals as well. Alexander Wertz will lead Early College at Guilford after helping raise the graduation rate and improve English II proficiency at Southwest High. Karen Williams-Dick is moving to Kearns Academy after leading a freshman academy that improved credit attainment and ninth-to-tenth grade promotion. Taken together, the appointments suggest Guilford County Schools is using internal promotions to place leaders where the district most needs stronger results, tighter culture and better family engagement.